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Potty training ---- is my gate good enough?

I have always crate trained in the past with my dogs, but since I am home 24/7 and able to take Dottie out often, I have just been letting her stay in a gated area in my kitchen. I am able to prevent her from having accidents most of the time during the day. I'd say I have to clean up pee pee puddles maybe twice per day. She usually doesn't even have a poopy accident in there but maybe once per day ... the others I am catching outside as well. Will this be sufficient for housebreaking her, or should I still confine her to a crate? I really hate to do that since I am home 24/7 with her! The only long period of time she has to go is during the night. I am sure my hubby is cleaning up after her when he gets home early in the morning, as he works night shift. Would it be better to just crate her only during the night so she learns to hold it?

I'd crate her at night at least to avoid having to clean up first thing. No one wants to eat breakfast with those kind of smells lingering!! But making a little area in the kitchen isn't much different. Maybe make it smaller so your dog can't wee/poo then walk well away from it. The whole idea is they don't want to mess near the bed. Is the bed in the gated area?

Personally, I think a crate training is great. My pup came crate trained and doesn't mind at all. From 12 weeks old it took about 4 weeks to house train (we have the occasional slip up when my children are left in charge ).

Thank you for replying, Pauline! My other two small dogs were crate-trained, and it worked great. I just figured since she was doing so well in the gated area then maybe I didn't need to confine her to a crate at night. I do agree though, that she needs to learn to like a crate, as there are times when it is the safest place for them! I just guess I'm being chicken about making her start crying! I need to buy another small crate for her, and then I will submit to the nightly crating!

To make the training process as fast and positive as possible, I would crate whenever I'm not 100% focused on the dog. Everytime the dog relieves itself inside is a missed opportunity; anytime she goes inside without being redirected adds to the confusion of the training.

Once she has learned to hold it in the crate, she can graduate into a space (like a kitchen). She's only ready for the kitchen when she can stay there without leaving something for you and the hubby to clean up!

I would crate whenever I'm not 100% focused on the dog. Everytime the dog relieves itself inside is a missed opportunity; anytime she goes inside without being redirected adds to the confusion of the training

I agree 100%. We crate her during the night. The first pee of the day is a great oportunity because Lia never failed it! You take her out of the crate and take her where you want her to pee!

In three weeks after we could take her out she began ask when she wanted to go out!

And after she is housebroken, I would suggest crating her occaisionally so that she is always used to being in a crate. Maybe feed her in her crate. That way the crate becomes a secure place for her and if you ever have to leave her anywhere that she can't be running free, she is happy in her crate.

Just wanted to add, Dottie in your avatar is the spitting image of Dylan though he's not a tri. They are both beautiful

p.s. I just look at another of your posts and noticed Dottie is only 10 weeks old. She is doing very well to only have 2 accidents a day

Your Dylan is a cutie pie too!
Thank you all for the helpful advice! I knew it was best to crate her, as I have done with my other two ... but she was just being so much better than they were ... I wanted to give her a chance if it would work!